Tyou have pneumonia in infants it is important to know and recognized, because jIf treated too late, pneumonia can be fatal. In Indonesia, this disease is one of the main causes of death in children under five.
Pneumonia is one of the infectious diseases that causes the highest death in children under five years of age (toddlers). Based on data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF in 2015, around 20 thousand children under five in Indonesia died of pneumonia.
Pneumonia is a lung infection caused by bacteria and viruses. Pneumonia can also be caused by fungi, although it is less common. Pneumonia can affect anyone, but babies under two years of age are more susceptible to this disease.
Signs of Pneumonia in Babies
Many parents do not recognize the symptoms or signs of pneumonia in infants. This causes the disease is often treated too late.
Here are some signs and symptoms of pneumonia in babies:
- High fever.
- Shortness of breath or the baby seems to have difficulty breathing.
- Baby's nose inflates when breathing.
- The baby's breath sounds.
- Cough and cold.
- Baby won't suckle or eat.
- Chest or stomach pain.
- The baby looks restless and weak.
- Lips and nails look blue.
Babies who develop pneumonia due to viral infections can sometimes also experience vomiting and diarrhea.
Calculating Baby's Breathing Rate
To determine whether the baby is short of breath or not, parents need to know the baby's normal breathing rate. Babies aged 2 to 12 months will usually breathe about 50 times per minute. Whereas in children aged 1 to 5 years, the normal respiratory rate is about 40 breaths per minute.
Parents can check the baby's breathing rate for themselves by undressing the baby, then watching the movement of his chest when breathing. Count how many times the baby's chest expands to breathe in one minute. If the baby is breathing faster than the normal respiratory rate limit, then he is experiencing shortness of breath.
Handling Pneumonia in Babies
If your child shows the above symptoms or signs of pneumonia, then immediately take him to the pediatrician. The doctor will perform a thorough examination and may suggest blood tests or X-rays to confirm the diagnosis of pneumonia.
If your child is diagnosed with pneumonia, the doctor will provide treatment according to the cause. In the case of pneumonia caused by bacteria, the doctor will give antibiotics.
While in pneumonia caused by a virus, antibiotics are not needed. Pneumonia due to a viral infection will usually clear up on its own in about 4 weeks. Even so, the doctor will still monitor the baby's condition and give medicines to relieve the symptoms.
In order for your little one to recover quickly, make sure they are getting enough fluids and nutrients. Mothers can continue to give breast milk or formula, as recommended by the doctor.
In severe cases of pneumonia, in which the baby appears very weak, does not want to drink or eat, and there is respiratory failure, seizures, or signs of dehydration, hospitalization is required.
The symptoms and signs of pneumonia in infants need to be known by parents so that they can be recognized immediately. If you see these symptoms in your little one, take him immediately to the nearest doctor or hospital for treatment.
Pneumonia in infants should not be taken lightly. To prevent this disease, parents need to complete their baby's immunizations on schedule, and keep babies away from people who are sick and exposure to pollution, such as cigarette smoke.